Secretary of State Antony Blinken described what he called a continuing “recession” over basic rights and the rule of law last year, as he unveiled the US government’s annual assessment of the global human rights situation. “Governments are becoming more brazen, reaching across borders to threaten and attack critics,” Blinken said, citing an alleged attempt by the Iranian government to abduct an Iranian-American journalist from New York. Assad regime’s efforts to threaten Syrians cooperating with German steps to prosecute former regime officials; and the diversion of a commercial flight from Belarus to arrest a journalist. Blinken said the imprisonment of political opponents had become more common in 2021, with more than one million political prisoners being held in more than 65 countries. He singled out the imprisonment of peaceful protesters in Cuba. activists and supporters in Russia and Egypt, including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Egyptian human rights lawyer Mohammed al-Baqr. and candidates for the presidency of the opposition in Benin. Insult and isolation led Vladimir Putin to misjudge Ukraine The report described a number of alleged abuses by both allies and adversaries, including enforced disappearances in Saudi Arabia and what it described as continuing acts of genocide and crimes against humanity against Uighur Muslims in China. He also cited retaliation by the Taliban in Afghanistan against members of the former government and measures to restrict the freedoms of women and girls, as well as allegations of abuse by all parties to the conflict in Ethiopia, including Eritrean government troops. Because the report focuses on 2021 trends, it did not explicitly address Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. But Blinken, speaking to reporters, said the abuses by Russian forces had been numerous since the offensive began on February 24, including alleged executions, rapes and depriving civilians of access to food, water and medicine. “In a few places the human consequences of this decline were as severe as the Russian government’s brutal war against Ukraine,” he said, pointing to the apparent atrocities revealed by the recent withdrawal of Russian forces from parts of the country. “We see what this receding tide leaves in its path – bodies, hands tied, left on the streets. the theaters, the railway stations, the apartment buildings became ruins with citizens inside “. The Biden government has already stated that it believes Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine. Last week, US officials helped orchestrate an effort to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Blinken said the United States would not shy away from scrutiny for its own human rights abuses. Since taking office, administration officials have said they will recognize open chronic problems at home, including police violence against Black Americans. “We take seriously our responsibility to address these shortcomings and we know that the way we do it matters,” he said. Sarah Yager, Washington’s director at Human Rights Watch, welcomed the report but said it had failed to emphasize the role of the United States in overseas conflicts where civilians have suffered extensive damage, including in Afghanistan and Yemen. The United States continues to support the maintenance of weapons and aircraft in Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen. “It’s always a bit strange to read about the human rights abuses of others as if the US had nothing to do with them. e.g. no reference to US support in Saudi Arabia [Arabia] “Yemen, but #HumanRightsReport is discussing Iran’s support for the Houthis,” he said on Twitter. “No reports of US casualties in Afghanistan or civilian casualties in Kabul.” Asked how the Biden administration would balance human rights over other US interests and how such actions would affect US partnerships with countries with poor historical human rights, Blinken said officials sometimes chose to pressure foreign governments privately. sometimes publicly, including in the annual rights report. “It does not distinguish between friend and foe. “We apply the same standard everywhere,” he said. Such tensions have been particularly visible in recent months between the Biden government and key Gulf allies such as Saudi Arabia, as US officials seek to secure increased energy production amid the war in Ukraine and Gulf officials face a number of issues. , such as those who consider it too critical of human rights. John Hudson contributed to this report.
